RIL (or Retail Pro 9)

Database and Custom Programming Guide

Retail Pro Interrnational, LLC

400 Plaza Dr., Suite 200
Folsom, CA 95630 USA

USA 1-800-738-2457
International +1-916-605-7200
www.retailpro.com
 RIL (or RP9) Database and Custom Programming Guide

About this Guide

The purpose of this documentation is to provide overview and detailed information
for custom programmers and database administrators who are using Retail Pro 9.
While Retail Pro International, LLC. endeavors in good faith to ensure that our
documentation is an accurate reflection of the capabilities of our products, it is
possible that certain inadvertent and/or typographical errors may nonetheless occur,
in spite of our best efforts to avoid the same. If you as a licensed user of these
product(s) encounter what appears to be an inconsistency in the documentation as
compared to your perception of the performance of the product(s), please contact
your Retail Pro Authorized Business Partner and inform them promptly of the
discrepancy so they/we can have the opportunity to correct the documentation. In
addition, while our documentation is generally a current reflection of the actual
features and operation of our products, changes to the features and operation of our
products which occur between formal releases of the documentation can be found on
the my.retailpro.com website, in the Documentation Portal, in the Release Notes
area, and any such changes are incorporated herein by reference.
Retail Pro International, LLC
400 Plaza Dr., Suite 200
Folsom, CA 95630 USA

USA 1-800-738-2457)
International +1-916-605-7200
www.retailpro.com

Copyright © 2022 All rights reserved. Retail Pro International, LLC.

Trademarks
Retail Pro and the Retail Pro logo are registered trademarks and/or registered service marks in the United
States and other countries. Oracle and Oracle 11g are registered trademarks and/or registered service marks
of Oracle Corporation. All rights reserved. Other parties’ trademarks or service marks are the property of
their respective owners and should be treated as such.

Document Revision History

Date Description
12/01/2011 Added Tender Types and info on Tender Type 12 (Foreign Currency).
05/08/2012 Updated INVN_SBS with text1-text10 and other new fields.
07/27/2012 Removed XML Files info. XML File information can be found in the
Retail_Pro_9_XML_Files.pdf document
02/22/2022 Updated copyright date.

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 RIL (or RP9) Database and Custom Programming Guide

Table Of Contents
About this Guide ...............................................................................................................................................2
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................4
About the Database and Custom Programming Guide .............................................................4
Key Benefits of Oracle11g ......................................................................................................................4
Restrictions on Accessing Oracle Tables and Views ....................................................................7
Database FAQs ...........................................................................................................................................7
Adding Custom Buttons for Outside Applications .................................................................... 31
Custom Programming Guide .................................................................................................................... 34
About Custom Programming in Retail Pro 9 ............................................................................... 34
Retail Pro Schema .................................................................................................................................. 36
Key Performance Statistics ......................................................................................................................... 47
Average Daily Inventory ...................................................................................................................... 47
Turn ............................................................................................................................................................. 47
GMROI ........................................................................................................................................................ 48
Sell Thru % ................................................................................................................................................ 52
Days of Supply ........................................................................................................................................ 52
Index ................................................................................................................................................................... 53

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 RIL (or RP9) Database and Custom Programming Guide

Introduction
About the Database and Custom
Programming Guide
This document provides overview and detailed information for custom programmers
and database administrators who are using Retail Pro 9.
The first section of the` documentation explains how to install the Retail Pro server
and clients, basic database concepts, and how to use custom programming to
retrieve data from Retail Pro.
For example, custom programmers will learn how to:
▪ Populate a Microsoft Excel® spreadsheet with selected Retail Pro data.
▪ Create custom reports using Microsoft Access®.
▪ Incorporate Retail Pro data into a Microsoft Word® mail merge document.
All examples use an ODBC connection to access the Retail Pro database.

Key Benefits of Oracle11g

The data management system for Retail Pro 9-Series is a relational database
management system (RDBMS) utilizing an embedded Oracle11g database engine.
Oracle is the industry leader in database management technology and the Oracle11g
engine has a proven reputation for outstanding functionality, reliability, and security.
It can scale virtually without limit and has built-in safeguards to ensure security and
data integrity. Additionally, the open architecture of Oracle11g provides easy access
to Retail Pro's database for custom development and interfacing with other
applications. Some key benefits of Oracle11g are described below.
Performance
Oracle continues to lead the database technology industry, significantly
outperforming its competitors. Oracle11g efficiently handles large volumes of data
and provides simultaneous access by multiple users in virtually any size operation. In
addition to its cutting-edge data storage and retrieval methods, the Oracle11g
database engine outperforms other databases in data access speed by allowing
multiple users to access the same data table simultaneously. Other databases lock
the entire table for a user to access its data and require all other transactions to
wait. With Oracle11g, only the individual row that contains the data is locked,
enabling multiple users to get fast, accurate results simultaneously.

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 RIL (or RP9) Database and Custom Programming Guide

Scalability
Oracle11g utilizes a multi-tiered architecture, so program components can be
distributed across multiple machines. For example, one server might host the
database and perform data access functions, another server might host a reporting
server and perform business analytic functions, and a workstation might run Retail
Pro and print reports. As your business grows, Oracle11g allows for easy scalability
by distributing the system across multiple servers as necessary.
Analytical Power
The database is designed to quickly and efficiently calculate analytical and
aggregated information in the database without taking up extra disk space from
storing values. Average daily values are easily accessed and transformed into
statistical information. For example, using the Stock Ledger feature, you can quickly
view the inventory on hand values for any store at any point in history.
Reliability and Security
The data that is generated during day-to-day operations must be protected at all
costs. Oracle11g has built-in safeguards to protect data against unplanned system
failure, storage failure, site failure or, human error.
Security was a primary consideration in all aspects of the design of our database
engine. Oracle11g addresses security vulnerabilities by securing transmitted data,
encrypting sensitive information, restricting user access at the record level, and
providing a single point of entry to authorized applications.
Data Integrity
Oracle11g contains several built-in mechanisms to protect data integrity. In addition,
information is stored relationally, which allows much more flexibility and efficiency in
maintaining data. For example, an item's historical data will remain linked even if
item information, such as the description, is changed.
Interoperability and Open Architecture
Retail Pro is probably not the only system in your retail environment. The Oracle 11g
database is designed to maximize interoperability, the ability of one computer
application to communicate with another application. In addition, Oracle 11g is built
with an open architecture, which allows open access to the Retail Pro database for
custom application development or custom reporting.
Low Administration
Perhaps the most important reason why Island Pacific has chosen to embed the
Oracle 11g database is that it virtually eliminates database administration. Through
its built-in utilities, the database can be tuned, backed up or rebuilt, dramatically
reducing the level of maintenance needed.

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 RIL (or RP9) Database and Custom Programming Guide

Open Data Access

All merchandise data, transactional history and other data from all subsidiaries are
available for viewing and reporting. Reports can be generated to include store-by-
store detail for any subsidiary, or consolidated data from any combination of stores
and subsidiaries. With proper authorization, these reports can be utilized by any
person at any time, anywhere in the world.
Data Access for Reporting Packages
Retail Pro 9 was engineered to provide open data access for robust reporting through
third-party reporting packages or custom programming. Retail Pro can support any
reporting package or custom application that uses SQL/ODBC for database access.
One example might be Crystal Reports from Business Objects.
Multiple Users
Give multiple users simultaneous access to the same reports without any decrease in
system performance by using a multi-tiered architecture. Retail Pro is designed to
maintain a high level of performance with multiple users running reports and analysis
simultaneously.
Retail Pro 9 utilizes a client-server model, the best architecture for a robust, multi-
user environment. Users running Retail Pro (the clients) make requests to the
server(s) for report data. Each server then accesses the database. The Retail Pro
database management system processes the requests and controls access to the
information in the database. The bulk of the data processing occurs on the server,
which allows each client running a report to have access to the processed data
quickly and concurrently.
Stock Values and Statistics
Obtain fast, efficient access to specialized data and key statistics. Retail Pro provides
rapid access to specialized information not normally available. Its relational database
has been specifically architected to provide advanced business analytical information
quickly and accurately:
▪ Stock values (quantity, cost, pricing) at a specific time in the past, for
example, End of Month values.
▪ Key statistics, such as Average Daily Inventory, that can be used as a basis
for calculating Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
Retail Pro Reports
Retail Pro includes a basic report server called Retail Pro Reports, which uses SQL
(Structured Query Language) to generate reports. Reports provides some default
report designs and filters. You can group reports together and run them as a single
batch for added convenience.

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 RIL (or RP9) Database and Custom Programming Guide

Restrictions on Accessing Oracle Tables

and Views
Due to licensing constraints, direct access to the Oracle tables is not allowed. For
custom reporting and development, read-only access to the data is granted through
Views, and data can be imported into Retail Pro through ECM using XML.

Database FAQs
What is SQL?
Structured Query Language, developed in the 1970s.
What is PL/SQL?
Procedural language for SQL. Allows you to control the flow of operations as with any
development language such as Visual Basic, C, PowerBuilder, Delphi etc.
What is DML?
Data manipulation language used to Select, Insert, Update and Delete data.
What is a table?
The basic storage object in a database.
What is a standard view?
A standard view is a stored SQL statement that can be accessed by a user in the
same manner as they would access a table. When a view in queried, Oracle will
execute the stored SQL and return the result set to the user.
What is an object view?
An object view is similar to a standard view in the way that it is a stored SQL
statement but it also contains built in relationships between data that would have to
be manually formulated if you were using a standard view.
What is a stored procedure?
A stored procedure is a block of PL/SQL code stored in the database that can be used
by other applications. A stored procedure can be packaged into an Oracle package so
that procedures and functions can be grouped together. A stored procedure can
optionally return data back to the calling application.

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 RIL (or RP9) Database and Custom Programming Guide

Need to install the Retail Pro Client (Oracle Net)

Both native connections and ODBC connections require the Oracle client.
How do you connect to Retail Pro?
Connecting to Retail Pro via the ‘reportuser’ user when developing reports. The
‘reportuser’ user is a special Oracle user account created for custom report
development.
Which ODBC driver should I use?
Use the driver from Microsoft, Crystal Reports or Oracle. Each one behaves slightly
differently so you will need to find the driver that best suits your needs
Why use an ODBC driver instead of a native connection?
ODBC is more flexible and does not tie to a specific data source. A native connection
provides the richest set of Oracle 11g features.
What is a database session?
A database session is a single connection to an Oracle database. Most reports will
only require a single connection to the Retail Pro database. A database session
consumes Oracle and Windows resources.
How do I manage sessions?
You can use the Connection Manager to manage sessions created by both Retail Pro
and any other application that connects to the Retail Pro database.
How do I get data out of the Oracle database?
Use SQL and PL/SQL to directly extract data from the Retail Pro database. It is
important to understand the underlying database structure.
How do I write SQL and PL/SQL?
Use Windows Notepad to create SQL scripts and execute them with SQL*Plus – an
Oracle-provided tool.
Or use the Retail Pro Database Explorer to write and execute SQL SELECT
statements.
If you do a lot of development, then you should invest in a SQL development tool
that will make development easier.
Reference: See Retail Pro 9.2 Standard Table Views

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Controllers
Each installation of the Retail Pro 9 database is called a controller and is assigned an
identifying number.
Retail Pro requires you to assign a Controller when you restart your computer after
installing Retail Pro.
The Controller enables Retail Pro to track the origin of a document, as well as the
location of edits made to that document after its initial creation. The originating
Controller remains on that document and can not be updated or changed.
The Controller, combined with other key identifiers such as Subsidiary, Store, and
Workstation, identify each part of your company down to the individual workstation.
Controllers vs. Stations
The Controller field replaces the Station Number, which is used in earlier versions
of Retail Pro, as the key field for identifying the origin of documents.
Each workstation in Retail Pro 9 is assigned to a controller. This is different from 8
Series, where each workstation is assigned to a station.
Assigning a Controller
Typically, you specify a Controller (as well as Subsidiary and Workstation) when you
restart your computer after installing a new Retail Pro® installation.
Note: You can specify the controller in the Workstation Preferences > General later,
but you will not be able to create documents or customers until you specify the
identifiers.
Within a subsidiary, you can use a Controller only once. You can assign up to 999
Controllers per subsidiary/store combination.
Planning Controllers
Before installing Retail Pro, plan your Controllers so that there is no uncertainty
about which Controller will be assigned which workstations.
Additional Tracking Fields
Retail Pro uses these additional fields to track document history:
▪ Orig Controller
▪ Orig Global Store Code
▪ Orig Store
▪ Orig Station

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Updating the Delta Table

The Delta Table provides the basis for all statistical calculations in Retail Pro, storing
old values, new values and differences.
You need to update the Delta Table on a regular basis. Delta Table updates
accumulate the latest data and update statistical calculations for every item on every
document that enters the database. For example, every sale, return, transfer or
adjustment of that item and the quantity involved (-2, -5, 1, 20, etc.)
Your statistics will only be as accurate and up-to-date as your last update (and the
documents posted at the time of that update).
You can manually launch an update of the Delta Table from the Tools menu or from
within the Audit area. You can view the Delta Table update within the Technician's
Tool Kit.
To update the Delta Table:

1. Select Tools > Update Delta from the top menu of the Home Screen.

Alternatively, select Merchandise > Audit from the Home Screen to access the
Audit area., and then click Update Delta. A confirmation dialog displays.

2. Click Yes to confirm the build. The Oracle Logon dialog displays.

3. Enter your Username and Password, then click OK.

You can also build the delta table from within the Audit area. This ensures your
audits are performed using the latest information available.

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Scheduling Delta Table Updates

You can schedule Delta Table updates to occur at the times that are most convenient
and cause the least amount of disruptions to your operations.
When scheduling a Delta Table updates, keep the following things in mind:
▪ You can schedule the update of the Delta Table for a specific subsidiary (using
a command-line parameter)
▪ Improper configuration can result in Delta Table updates occurring at
inopportune times.
▪ Potential slowdowns can occur if multiple overlapping Delta Table updates are
performed.
To schedule a Delta Build:

1. Set up a new task for Techtoolkit.exe in Schedule Editor. Assign any of the
command line parameters listed below:

Parameter Allowed Values Description and Rules Expected Format

/u[sername] Retail Pro username /u:sysadmin

Alternative
:
-
u[sername
]

/p[assword Retail Pro password /p:mypassword

Alternative
:
-
p[assword
]

/m[ode] deltab[uild] Run the delta build process. /m:anymode

/s[ilent] Run in silent mode. /s

If silent mode is specified,
then the GUI will not be
displayed wile the
requested process is
performed.

/sub Any existing /sub:001,002,005,00

subsidiary If All is specified, then the 6
number delta build will run for all /sub:all
All subsidiaries.

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 RIL (or RP9) Database and Custom Programming Guide

Parameter Allowed Values Description and Rules Expected Format

/deltamode C[lear] Clears and deletes all /deltamode:f

existing delta table records.
F[ull] Performs a full delta build
U[pdate] Performs update from last
delta build.
This parameter is ignored
unless the mode is set to
deltabuild.

Example: techtoolkit.exe /u:sysadmin /p:sysadmin /m:deltab /deltamode:u /s

sub:001
Clearing the Delta Table
If the delta table was incorrect, and you cannot correct it through a full rebuild, you
can clear the old delta table values and then do a new rebuild.
Why would I clear the delta table?
You might use this strategy, for example, if the table contains erroneous documents
or documents that were added to the delta table in the past but no longer exist in
Retail Pro®. When you run a full rebuild, Retail Pro® reviews everything currently in
the database and updates all the delta tables; however, it does not remove
documents that are no longer in the system.
Important!: If you use the following operation to clear the delta table, the delta_src
will be destroyed for all periods, even closed periods.
To clear the delta table:

1. Run Techtoolkit.exe using the -clear command line parameter.

Example: Techtoolkit.exe -c -full -clear

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 RIL (or RP9) Database and Custom Programming Guide

Abbreviations
The following table lists common abbreviations that are used in the database schema
and in the XML files. This information is useful for 3rd-party developers who are
using the XML files to develop reports and other 3rd-party applications.

Word Abbreviation

Accounts Payable AP

Accounts AR
Receivable

Acknowledge Ack

Address Addr

Adjustment Adj

Allocation Alloc

Alternate Alt

Alternate Lookup ALU

Amount Amt

Amount with Tax Amtwt or AmtWT

Application App

Approved Approv

Attribute Attr

Audit Audt

Authorize Auth

Automatic Auto

Average Avg

Calendar Cal

Check Chk

Commission Comm

Company Cmp

Component Cmpnt

Configuration Cfg

Count Cnt

Credit Card Crd

Currency Curr

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 RIL (or RP9) Database and Custom Programming Guide

Word Abbreviation

Customer Cust

Database DB

Date of Birth DOB

Default Deflt

Definition Def

Delete Del

Denomination Denom

Deposit Depst

Description Desc

Destination Dest or Dst

Dictionary Dict

Discontinued Discon

Discount Disc

Document Doc

Driver's License DL

Electronic Funds EFT

Transfer

Employee Empl

End of Month EOM

Error Err

Estimated Time of EFT

Arrival

Excluded Excl

Expiration Exp

Extended Ext

Field Fld

Fields Flds

Filter Fltr

First Fst

Foreign Currency FC

Function Func

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Word Abbreviation

Gift Card Gft_Crd

Gift GCSC
Certificate/Store
Credit

Global Glob

Group Grp

High Security Hisec

History Hist

Import Imp

Included Incl

Information Info

Inspected Insp

Instructions Instr

Internal Int

Invoice Invc

Language Lang

Last Lst

Length Len

Level Lvl

Location Loc

Maximum Max

Message Msg

Minimum Min

Movement Mov

Movement Note MN

Number No

On Hand OH

Open to Buy OTB

Operating System OS

Order Ord

Original Orig

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Word Abbreviation

Package Pkg

Parameters Params

Pattern Ptrn

Payment Pmt

Percent Perc

Percent with Tax PercWT

Permission Perm

Physical PI
Inventory

Point of Sale POS

Position Pos

Postal Code/ZIP Zip

Code

Preference Pref

Price with Tax PriceWT

Processed Proc

Purchase Purch

Purchase Order PO

Quantity Qty

QuickBooks QB

Rebate Reb

Received Rcvd

Reference Ref

Region Rgn

Repair Rpr

Repair Order RO

Repository Rp

Required Req

Resolved Resolv

Responsible Resp

Sales Order SO

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Word Abbreviation

Salesperson SPIF
Incentive Fee

Schedule SC

Security Sec

Sequence Seq

Size Siz

Source Src

Statistic Stat

Stock Keeping SKU

Unit

Sublocation Subloc

Subsidiary Sbs

Supplemental Suppl

Target Trgt

Trademark TM

Transaction Trx

Transfer Trans

Transfer Order TO, Tord

Transfer Slip Slip

Transit Trans

Universal Product UPC

Code

User-defined Field UDF

Value Val

Vendor Vend

Verified Verif

Voucher Vou

Wait List WL

With Tax WT

Workstation WS

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 RIL (or RP9) Database and Custom Programming Guide

Database File Layout

There are several layouts that you can use for the database files. Important
considerations are:
▪ How easy will it be to recover the database files?
▪ How much is the client willing to spend on hard disk arrays?

Layout Options
Option Comments
Place all schema The performance advantage of hardware striping far
objects on one outweighs any disadvantage caused by combining data and
or more large index, or any other schema types.
RAID 10 arrays

Place redo logs Place each log thread on a separate RAID 1 pair. This allows
on RAID 1 or sequential read optimization algorithms on the storage array
RAID 10 arrays to be activated.
An alternative is to include redo log files with the main RAID
10 disk set. This is useful where log write activity is low, or
where there are a limited number of disks.

Place archive Both for performance and availability reasons, archive logs
log files on should be physically separated from other data types.
RAID 1, RAID
10, or RAID 5
disks

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 RIL (or RP9) Database and Custom Programming Guide

RAID Levels
Oracle can take advantage of each type of RAID configuration. RAID levels are
described below.

RAID Description Oracle Usage

0 With RAID 0, data is striped across disks,
but no data protection is offered. This is
not truly RAID, since there is no
redundancy. RAID 0 offers high
performance, since there is only one
Physical I/O per logical read or write.
However, any error on any disk causes
the whole RAID array to fail. RAID 0 can
be appropriate for temp or scratch space.

1 RAID 1 consists of pairs of mirrored RAID 1 is commonly used for

disks. The two disks together offer a redo logs and archive logs,
single logical disk. If one disk fails, the due to the sequential reads
other disk takes over until the disk is and writes performed by
replaced. RAID 1 is relatively expensive logging processes. RAID 1
since for every two disks purchased, only redo and archive logs are
the storage capacity of one disk is particularly good for OLTP
usable. performance. Note that each
RAID 1 offers good sequential read and redo thread should be
write performance. However, it offers separated on separate disk
only moderate random read and write pairs to maintain sequential
performance, due to lower spindle count access. Since redo logs rarely
than multi-disk striped configurations. fill an entire disk, using a
RAID 1 disk pair for redo logs
balances the need for higher
sequential I/O performance
with the less efficient storage
utilization that can be afforded
to transient files.

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RAID Description Oracle Usage

5 RAID 5 utilizes a different algorithm for RAID 5 offers good
redundancy. Instead of mirroring, parity- performance for read-only
based error correction is striped across databases such as Data
all disks in the array. If data on any disk Warehouses, due to data
(or a whole disk) is lost, the data can be striping across multiple disks
recalculated from the remaining disks. (reads are performed in
The net effect is the number of accessible parallel). RAID 5 is generally
disks is one less than the total disks in considered poor for OLTP
the RAID group. This is a relatively cost databases, due to the write
effective form of RAID. penalty. However, it is the
After a disk failure, a replacement disk least expensive form of
can be automatically synched with the protected RAID storage, and
remaining disks. However, please note cost considerations often
that rebuild speeds may be slow. trump performance
Performance will be degraded during considerations.
rebuilds, although the RAID group If you have to use RAID 5 for
continues to function. OLTP databases, make sure
RAID 5 tends to suffer from a write you maximize the amount of
performance penalty. Each logical write write cache.
requires four I/Os: read the disk stripe, We are recommending that
read the parity, write the disk stripe, RAID 5 be used for the Retail
calculate and write the new parity. Pro 9 database data files
Hardware cache can be used to mitigate because of the solid reliability
the write penalty. RAID 5. There is a very small
sacrifice in performance
because of this but well worth
it in the event of a disk
failure.

10 RAID 10 (often called RAID 1 + 0, or RAID 10 offers the highest

RAID 0 + 1) offers a combination of write performance for any
mirroring and striping techniques. Each form of protected disks. It is
individual disk is mirrored, but the data is commonly used for Oracle
striped across multiple disks. A minimum data files. RAID 10 is
of 4 disks is required for a RAID 10 especially good for OLTP
group. There is a hardware specific databases.
maximum for each.
RAID 10 groups are commonly
implemented as a 10 disk RAID group.

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Importing Documents
You can import any document in xml format into Retail Pro using the Enterprise
Communication Manager (ECM). This enables you to import documents from outside
or legacy systems into Retail Pro. When importing documents, make sure to include
the required fields for that document type.
Important! To import the Invoice.xml file, the INVN_BASE_ITEM section is required.
To import documents into Retail Pro:

1. Add the transaction information to the appropriate xml file. For example, add
sales transaction information to the Invoice.xml file. (Make sure the file includes
INVN_BASE_ITEM)
2. Place the file in the ECM\Polling\[Station]\In\Recvd directory.
3. Perform a Process In operation using the Enterprise Communications Manager
(ECM).

INVN_BASE_ITEM Info Required for New Items on Documents

When a receipt (invoice) or other transactional document is transmitted from one
station to another, it cannot be guaranteed that the receiving station will have the
items that are listed on that receipt in the stations’ inventory. When ECM is importing
a receipt or other document into Retail Pro, if an item that is on the document is not
in inventory, then that item will be created by ECM and marked as inactive. This
enables the document to be created successfully at the importing station. To do that,
ECM needs to know basic details about the item and this information is contained in
the <INVN_BASE_ITEM> section of the XML file.

Flag Field Must Be Set to "0" for Receipts to Update On-Hand Quantity
If importing items into Retail Pro, be sure to set the Flag field in the Inventory.xml
file to “0”. If you don’t set the Flag field to “0” in the Inventory.xml file, receipts that
are imported into Retail Pro will not update the item’s on-hand quantity.

Do Not Import Receipts with Tender_Type=12

Do not try to import documents that have " tender_type=12"
Tender type 12 is foreign currency inside of Rpro9 CORE CODE in memory. In the
database, though, foreign currency is identified by two conditions - tender type is
CASH (0) and currency does not match base currency for that subsidiary.

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Required Fields for Retail Pro Document Types

The required fields for each Retail Pro document type are listed below:
Adjustment Memos (ADJUSTMENT table)
ADJ_SID
SBS_NO
STORE_NO
CREATED_DATE
MODIFIED_DATE
CMS_POST_DATE
Purchase Orders (PO table)
PO_SID
SBS_NO
STORE_NO
CREATED_DATE
MODIFIED_DATE
CMS_POST_DATE
Receipts (INVOICE table)
INVN_BASE_ITEM
CMS_POST_DATE
INVC_SID
SBS_NO
STORE_NO
INVC_NO
INVC_TYPE
CREATED_DATE
MODIFIED_DATE
Sales Orders (SO table)
MODIFIED_DATE
CMS_POST_DATE
SO_SID
SBS_NO
STORE_NO

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Slips (SLIP table)

SLIP_SID
SBS_NO
OUT_STORE_NO
IN_SBS_NO
IN_STORE_NO
UNVERIFIED
CREATED_DATE
MODIFIED_DATE
CMS_POST_DATE
Transfer Orders (TORD table)
TO_TYPE
CREATED_DATE
MODIFIED_DATE
CMS_POST_DATE
TO_SID
SBS_NO
STORE_NO
Vouchers (VOUCHERS table)
VOU_SID
SBS_NO
STORE_NO
VOU_NO
VOU_TYPE
VOU_CLASS
CREATED_DATE
MODIFIED_DATE
CMS_POST_DATE

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Importing Items
You can import items in xml format into Retail Pro using the Enterprise
Communication Manager (ECM). This enables you to import items from outside or
legacy systems into Retail Pro 9.
This section explains how to import new items into the Retail Pro v9 database from
an external system and how to perform updates.
If you are importing a receipt (Invoice.xml) or other document, and the items on the
document do not exist in the target inventory, ECM will create those items and mark
them with a status of Inactive.
To import new items into Retail Pro:

1. Add the item information to the Inventory.xml file.

Reference: See Required Information for New Items
2. Place the file in the ECM\Polling\[Station]\In\Recvd directory, and then perform a
Process In operation using the Enterprise Communications Manager (ECM).

Importing New Items

Item Definition/Description
The first time you import items from an outside system into Retail Pro, you must
enter values in the following fields:

sbs_no dcs_code description1

created_date modified_date tax-code
flag ext_flag kit_type
max_disc_perc1 max_disc_perc2 unorderable
print_tag active mark_for_del
cms_post_date eci_flag regional
qty store_no

Important!: Do not leave a required field blank or use empty quotation marks (“ “)

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Active Field Must Be Set to 1

When importing items, it is crucial that the Active field is set to "1" .
Note: You can import departments and vendors whose active field is set to "0", but
not items.

Defining Store Quantities

In the INVN_SBS_QTYS section of the Inventory.xml file, enter a store_no for each
store and the qty of the item at the store. You do not need to enter a qty of “0” for
those stores where the on-hand quantity is zero.
For example, if you want to import an item and set its quantity to zero at all stores,
the XML will look like this:
<INVN_SBS_QTYS>
<INVN_SBS_QTY store_no="1"/>
<INVN_SBS_QTY store_no="2"/>
<INVN_SBS_QTY store_no="3"/>
<INVN_SBS_QTY store_no="4"/>
....
<INVN_SBS_QTY store_no="250" qty="0"/>
</INV_SBS_QTYS>
In this example, after the item is in Retail Pro, the retailer could create adjustment
memos to adjust the quantity.
If you want to define (or update) non-zero item quantities, list every store_no and
qty.
Example:
<INVN_SBS_QTYS>
<INVN_SBS_QTY store_no="1" qty="10"/>
<INVN_SBS_QTY store_no="2" qty="10"/>
<INVN_SBS_QTY store_no="3" qty="10"/>
<INVN_SBS_QTY store_no="4" qty="10"/>
<INVN_SBS_QTY store_no="250" qty="40"/>
</INV_SBS_QTYS>
Store 250
Store 250 is used to store the on-hand quantity for the entire company. Be sure to
enter the correct company quantity for store 250 when importing items into Retail
Pro for the first time.
You must either pass correct store 250 quantities, OR use Technician’s Toolkit after
the import to recalculate company quantities. If you don’t enter the correct quantity
for store 250 or run Technician’s Toolkit, Retail Pro inventory will display incorrect
quantity values for the company.

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INVN_BASE_ITEM Required if Transactions include New Items

When a receipt (invoice) or other transactional document is transmitted from one
station to another, it cannot be guaranteed that the receiving station will have the
items that are listed on that document in the stations’ inventory. When ECM is
importing a receipt or other transactional document into Retail Pro, if an item that is
on the receipt is not in inventory, then that item will be created by ECM and marked
as inactive. This enables the document to be created successfully at the importing
station. To do that, ECM needs to know basic details about the item and this
information is contained in the <INVN_BASE_ITEM> section of the XML file.

Flag Field Must Be Set for Transactions to Update On-Hand Quantity

When importing new items into Retail Pro, be sure to set the Flag field in the
Inventory.xml file. If you don’t set the Flag field in the Inventory.xml file, receipts that
are imported into Retail Pro will not update the item’s on-hand quantity.
The flag field is a bit array field:

Bit Function
0 Skip Committed flag
1 Skip Inventory flag (i.e. Non-inventory item)
2 Non-editable flag. An example of this would be the CMS flag,
used in v9 but not used in v8.
3-7 Reserved for future use.

The following table lists the integer value that should be entered in the Flag field to
achieve the desired setting.

Integer Description
Value
0 All flags deselected (0000 0000). An item with this setting
would be included in Committed, would not be a non-
inventory item, and would be editable.
1 Enables the Skip Committed flag (0000 0001)
2 Enables the Non-Inventory flag (0000 0010)
3 Enables both the Skip Committed and Non-Inventory flags.
(0000 0011)
4 Enables the CMS flag (0000 0100)(
5 Enables the CMS and Skip Committed flag (0000 0101)
6 Enables the CMS flag and the Non-Inventory flag (0000
0110)
7 Enables the CMS flag, Non-Inventory flag, and the Skip

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Committed flag (0000 0111)

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Sample Inventory.xml file:

Importing Updated Item Information

To import updated item information into Retail Pro:

1. Add the item information to the Inventory.xml file.

2. Place the file in the ECM\Polling\[Station]\In\Recvd directory, and then perform a
Process In operation using the Enterprise Communications Manager (ECM).

Updating Item Quantities

If you want to import updated item quantities, list each store_no and qty in the
IVNV_SBS_QTY section.
Example:
<INVN_SBS_QTYS>
<INVN_SBS_QTY store_no="1" qty="10"/>
<INVN_SBS_QTY store_no="2" qty="10"/>
<INVN_SBS_QTY store_no="3" qty="10"/>
<INVN_SBS_QTY store_no="4" qty="10"/>
<INVN_SBS_QTY store_no="250" qty="40"/>
</INV_SBS_QTYS>

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Importing Employees
Security Information for New Employees Imported into Retail Pro 9
When you import new employees into Retail Pro 9 via the Employees.xml file, you
must import the employees without password or security settings. After the basic
information for the employee is added, you must go into Employee Mgmt > Groups
to assign passwords, security rights, and privileges.
Security information is stored in the <SECURITY_SETTINGS> area of the XML file. A
sample of which is shown below:
<SECURITY_SETTINGS sig1="80095CC838C28504CBB5E89A20985A10FFF9187F">
<EMP_SBSS>
<EMP_SBS sbs_no="1" access_all="1" stores="0-1"/>
</EMP_SBSS>
<CMS_USER user_id="97" user_name="USER2" sbs_no="1" active="1" password="C498F7B745"
sysadmin="0" sig2="49E5E008F0B1F5E306701BE393602844A2FFA5B">
<USER_GROUPS>
</USER_GROUPS>
</CMS_USER>
<SIGNATURE sig3="D9FBBA855F6D5BFFB73E2C08134377B9FB11AAFC"/>
</SECURITY_SETTINGS>

These are not required fields. If you are importing new employees into Retail Pro 9,
do not enter values in these fields for the new employees. When you assign
password and security information, the fields will be populated by the system.

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Adding Custom Buttons for Outside

Applications
The Usermenu.ini file stores information for the buttons that appear on the Retail Pro
user menus, including all the applications that can be accessed from the Tools menu.
You can change the Usermenu.ini file to add buttons that link to outside applications.
For example, you might want to add a button that links to your QuickBooks
accounting software. The buttons that you add can be accessed by clicking Tools on
the Retail Pro Home Screen.
To add custom buttons to the Retail Pro Tools menu:

1. Using Notepad or other text editor, create a file called Usermenu.txt.

2. In the Usermenu.txt file, enter information for each button in the following
format:
[1]
UpdateUserMenu [Application_Name], app1.exe
[2]
UpdateUserMenu [Application_Name], app2.exe

3. Save the file to the \Programs\ folder of the Retail Pro 9 Maintenance Pack.
4. Run the Maintenance Pack.
Result: The Maintenance Pack updates the Usermenu.ini file.

5. After running the Maintenance Pack, start Retail Pro, and then click Tools.
Buttons that link to the programs added via the Usermenu.txt file will be
displayed. Select a button to launch the application.

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Multiple Databases from Single

Workstation
This topic explains how to access more than one database from the same
workstation. This is useful if you need to access a test database as well as a
production database but don't want to manage two installations of the Retail Pro 9
executable (RetailPro9.exe) on your workstation.
To access multiple databases from a single workstation, you need to:
1. Edit the TNSNames.ora file to include entries for each database.
2. Create a separate shortcut for each database to which the workstation will
connect.
Important: To access multiple databases from one workstation, the same version of
Retail Pro 9 must be installed on both the test database and production database. If
the versions are different, you will need two installations of Retail Pro 9 executables
on his workstation - one for each version of Retail Pro 9.

To edit the TNSNames.ora file:

1. Navigate to the workstation's \RetailPro9\ folder.

2. Right-click the TNSNames.ora file and select Open With ..., and then select
Notepad.
Result: The file opens in Notepad.
3. Add code for each additional database, similar to the illustration below.
Warning: The syntax of this file is important to Oracle. Do not add extra space
characters or rearrange the format of the TNS entry.

4. Select File > Save, and then File > Exit.

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To create a shortcut to a database:

1. Right-click in an empty area of the desktop, and select New > Shortcut. The
Create Shortcut Wizard displays.
2. Type or browse to the location of Retail Pro 9 (RPRO9.exe), and then click Next.
3. Type a name for the shortcut, and then click Finish.

4. Right-click in the shortcut, and select Properties. The Properties dialog is

displayed.

5. Select the Shortcut tab. Modify the Target field to point to the appropriate server,
and then click OK.
6. Repeat for each database to which you want to connect.
7. To access a particular database, double-click the shortcut for that database.

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Custom Programming Guide

About Custom Programming in Retail Pro
9
Retail Pro uses open architecture that allows you to use Standard SQL to generate
your own data queries and import the data to your own custom programs and
reports. For example, you can:

▪ Populate a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet with selected Retail Pro data.

▪ Create custom reports using Microsoft Access.

▪ Incorporate Retail Pro data into a Microsoft Word mail merge document.
All examples use an ODBC connection to access the Retail Pro database (see
Creating an ODBC Connection to Retail Pro for instructions).

Views
Views provide a standardized interface to the underlying database and are vital to
the custom development process. Developers do not need to understand all the
referential integrity relationships of the relational database.
Once the complexity of the underlying database structure is abstracted via views,
custom applications rely on the Oracle standard view interface. Because the interface
to the database stays the same, applications do not require modification (or re-
compilation) when the database structure changes.
What is a Standard View?
A standard view (or view) is a tailored presentation of the data contained in one or
more tables or other views. A view takes the output of a query and puts it in a table
format. Therefore, a view can be thought of as a stored query or a virtual table. You
can use views in most places where a table can be used.
For example, the Invoice table has several columns and numerous rows of
information. If you want users to see only five of these columns or only specific
rows, then you can create a view of that table for other users to access.

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What is an Object View?

An object view is an extension of the basic relational view mechanism. Just as a view
is a virtual table, an object view is a virtual object table. By using object views, you
can create virtual object tables from data — using either built-in or user-defined data
types — stored in the columns of relational or object tables in the database.
Object views provide the ability to offer specialized or restricted access to the data
and objects in a database. For example, you can use an object view to provide a
version of an employee object table that does not have attributes containing
sensitive data and does not have a deletion method.
Standard Views vs. Object Views
Using object views can lead to better performance. Relational data that make up a
row of an object view traverse the network as a unit, potentially saving many round
trips.
Object views also provide a gradual migration path for legacy data. They provide for
co-existence of relational and object-oriented applications, and make it easier to
introduce object-oriented applications to existing relational data without having to
make a drastic change from one paradigm to another.
Object views provide the flexibility of looking at the same relational or object data in
more than one way. Thus you can use different in-memory object representations for
different applications without changing the way you store the data in the database.
The Role of SIDs (System Identifiers)
An SID (System Identifier) is assigned to inventory items, documents, customers
and vendor records. The SID is used to uniquely identify records in the database.
SIDs are used to link document header and detail information together.
Database Objects
A database object is any object created in the Oracle database. This includes tables,
views, types, table spaces, etc.

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Retail Pro Schema

To fully exploit the power of Retail Pro for reporting, you must first understand the
structure of the Retail Pro database. There are recurring structures that have been
implemented throughout the database:
▪ Logical groupings of tables with parent-child relationships
▪ Foreign-key constraints between tables to ensure the validity of data and
prevent dangling references
▪ Lookup tables that contain various codes and preferences settings
▪ Security, preference, versioning and licensing tables
▪ Summary tables like delta source, history trail and cost trail.
▪ A layer of standard views and object views to abstract your reports and
applications from the underlying database structure which is subject to
change.

Creating an ODBC Connection to Retail Pro

In Microsoft Windows 2000:
1. Select Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Data Sources
(ODBC).
2. Select the System DSN tab
3. Click Add.
4. Select the Microsoft ODBC for Oracle driver and select Finish.
5. Enter information in the Microsoft ODBC for Oracle Setup dialog box.
Note: For the Data Source Name, enter RPROODS.

6. Click OK when finished.

Result: The ODBC connection is created and can now be used to access the Retail
Pro® database (RPROODS). An Oracle account has been defined for use by
developers to create third-party applications based on the Retail Pro database. The
account has specific database privilege. The tables below describe the rights that
have been granted to the Oracle account.
The “reportuser” user has privileges to create all necessary database objects in
his/her own schema. This means that objects created by the “reportuser” user will
reside in the ods_custom table space. The “reportuser” user shares the temp table
space with all other Business Analytics users.

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Deselect Image Field for Inventory and Vendors

When connecting to the database, be sure to de-select the Image field for inventory
and vendor records. If the Image field is selected, the connection will fail.
Connecting to the Database
There are multiple methods that can be used to connect to the database. ODBC,
JDBC and direct access via Oracle’s Net protocol are all acceptable connection
methods. Regardless of your connection method, the default user name, password
and database connect string will be the same.
Connect string syntax: username/password@databasename
Sample connect string: reportuser/report@rproods
Reportuser User Account
Username = reportuser
Password = report
Default user that can access the views. This user has rights to select data from the
views but cannot write changes back to the database. The “reportuser” user will have
the ability to create database objects in the Report schema. The “reportuser” user
will be able to insert, select, update and delete data from objects in the Report
schema. The default password should be changed after installation of the database.
Installing Microsoft ODBC for Oracle Driver
If you do not have the Microsoft ODBC for Oracle driver installed on your system,
then you can download the Microsoft Data Access Components from the following
Web page:

http:\\www.microsoft.com/data/download 26sp2.htm.
Entering Username and Password
You may be prompted for a username and password the first time you connect to
Retail Pro from within an application (Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft
Query, etc.). Refer to the Database Name and Reportuser User Account tables for
connection information.

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General Examples
To help custom developers, the following examples are provided to show the various
methods of accessing Retail Pro views. Examples are provided for illustrative
purposes only. In addition to these general examples, you can also examples for
Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, and Microsoft Word.
Refer to the View Descriptions section for more information.

Extracting Document Header Information

This example queries the Invoice_ov view to extract header information from a
sales receipt in Retail Pro. The Where clause of the SQL statement specifies that
only normal sales and return receipts from Subsidiary 1 will be retrieved.
Only one view is reference by this query.
Select ab.Modifier, ab.Status2, ab.Invc_Sid, ab.Invc_Type, ab.Invc_No,
ab.Created_Date, ab.Created_Date, ab.Customer_Ref.Company_Name,
ab.Cashier_Ref.Empl_Name, ab.Store_No, ab.Invc_Total.Ext_Price,
ab.Invc_Total.Ext_Orig_Price, ab.Invc_Total.Ext_Disc_Amt,
ab.Invc_Total.Shipping_AmtWT, ab.Invc_Total.Fee_AmtWT, ab.Invc_Total.Amt,
ab.Invc_Total.Ext_Tax_Amt, ab.Tender_Type, ab.Sbs_No
From Invoice_ov ab
Where (ab.Status2 IN (0))
And (ab.Invc_Type IN (0, 2))
And (ab.Sbs_No IN (1));

Extracting Document Header and Detail Information

This example queries the Po_ov view and references the PO item and quantity
information based on the document SID.
Select bt.Inventory_Ref.DCS_Ref.SubClass, bt.Inventory_Ref.DCS_Ref.Class,
bt.Inventory_Ref.DCS_Ref.Department, bt.Inventory_Ref.Siz,
bt.Inventory_Ref.Attr, bt.Inventory_Ref.Description1, bt.Item_Sid,
ds.PO_Sid, fi.Due_Qty, fi.Ord_Qty, fi.Ext_Ord_Cost, fi.Store_No
From Po_ov ds, Table(ds.Po_items) bt, Table(bt.PO_Qtys) fi
Where (ds.PO_Sid=:DOC_SID)

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Extracting Data Using Filters

This example queries Retail Pro for quantity adjustments that have occurred during
the current year. The query is filtered and only extracts year-to-date adjustments for
stores 0 through 5 and subsidiary 1.
Select av.Adj_Sid, av.Adj_No, av.Created_Date, av.Created_Date, av.Store_No,
v.Clerk_Ref.Empl_Name, av.Adj_Reason_Name, av.Post_Date, av.Sbs_No,
ff.Item_SID,
ff.Inventory_Ref.Item_No,
ff.Inventory_Ref.DCS_Ref.Department,ff.Inventory_Ref.DCS_Ref.Class,
ff.Inventory_Ref.DCS_Ref.SubClass,
ff.Inventory_Ref.Vendor_Ref.Vend_Code, ff.Inventory_Ref.Description1,
ff.Inventory_Ref.Attr,
ff.Inventory_Ref.Siz, ff.Orig_Qty, ff.Adj_Qty, ff.Dif_Qty
From Adjustment_ov av, Table(av.Adj_Items) ff
Where (av.Store_No IN (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5))
And (av.Post_Date Between To_Date('01-01-2002 00:00:00','MM-DD-YYYY
HH24:MI:SS')
And To_Date('07-30-2002 23:59:59','MM-DD-YYYY HH24:MI:SS')) And (av.Sbs_No
IN (1))

List Inventory Items

This example extracts inventory information from Retail Pro®.
Select ck.Item_SID, ck.Store_No, ck.Sbs_No, ck.Price_Lvl,
ck.Inventory_Ref.Item_No,
ck.Inventory_Ref.DCS_Ref.Department, ck.Inventory_Ref.DCS_Ref.Class,
ck.Inventory_Ref.DCS_Ref.SubClass, ck.Inventory_Ref.Vend_Code,
ck.Inventory_Ref.Description1, ck.Inventory_Ref.Attr, ck.Inventory_Ref.Siz,
ck.Store_No
From Invn_Current_V ck
Where (ck.Sbs_No IN (1))
And (ck.Price_Lvl=1)

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Microsoft Access Example

The example demonstrates how to create a simple custom report in Microsoft Access
using an ODBC connection to Retail Pro.
In this example, you run an Access report (with parameters) that displays all
customers who have purchased the specified inventory item. The report can be easily
modified to accept different parameters such as DCS and style information instead of
a single inventory item to use when producing the report. The report can then be
used to send a customer mailing to all customers of a certain department to
announce a sale event.
1. Open the Access example. Select the Reports object, and then double-click the
Customer List report. The Selection Criteria form is displayed.

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2. Select the inventory item that you are interested in.

3. Click OK.

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Microsoft Excel Example

This example demonstrates how to populate a Microsoft Excel worksheet with data
from Retail Pro. The user can write an ad-hoc SQL query and execute the query. The
user can also access the Microsoft Query Designer to visually design SQL queries.
This example was developed using standard Excel features and Visual Basic. All tools
are standard Microsoft Office tools. This example should work correctly when run
using Office 2000 (Excel 9) or Office 2002 (Excel 10).
When you open the example project, depending on your Excel Macro Security
Settings, you will be prompted to enable macros. Once you enable macros you will
see the Retail Pro Excel Example main form. Retail Pro has also been added to the
Excel menu bar.

1. To start, click Clear Worksheet. Then, enter a SQL statement (or use the default
SQL statement and click Execute Query.

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If you wanted to use Microsoft Query Designer to write a SQL query, select Run
MS Query to launch the Microsoft Query Designer. This allows you to design a
new query that can be used to populate the Excel worksheet. The example
application does not support this functionality but you can refer to the MS Query
and MS Excel documentation for instructions on how to do this. For more
information, select the Help button. You can copy and paste the SQL statement
created in MS Query into the example application’s SQL Entry Window. When you
select the Help button, the on-line help instructions are displayed in a pop-up
dialog box.
2. After entering a SQL query and clicking Execute Query, the worksheet will be
populated with the Retail Pro data returned from the query.

2. Before running the next query, clear the worksheet by clicking Clear Worksheet.

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Microsoft Word Example

This example demonstrates how to incorporate data from Retail Pro into a Microsoft
Word mail merge document.
The basic components of this example are a query written using Microsoft Query
named Customer A-List.dqy and Microsoft Word’s mail merge wizards. The query
defines the SQL statement that will be used to retrieve customer sales information
from Retail Pro. The query retrieves all customers who have spent $1000 or more in
their lifetime at your store. The query results are then returned to Microsoft Word to
be merged into the form letter that was designed using the mail merge wizards.
To Install the Microsoft Word example:

1. Copy the Microsoft Word file and the query file to any folder on your hard drive.
2. Double-click on FormLetterExample.doc.
3. When prompted, select ‘Find datasource…’ and open to Customer A-List.dqy.
4. You are prompted again to connect to the datasource each time the mail merge
document is opened. Select Yes.
5. You are not prompted the next time that you run the example.
6. Word will connect to the data source and retrieve the data.
Once the data is retrieved Word will automatically merge the customer data into the
form letter where the mail merge fields have been defined.

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Key Performance Statistics

In this section of the document, the key performance statistics displayed in Profile
reports are explained in more detail.

Average Daily Inventory

Average Daily Inventory is the average quantity on hand in inventory at the end of
each day, after adjustment for all the day’s transactional activities. By averaging
inventory quantities over an entire period, retailers get a truer picture of inventory
than from a single snapshot, such as on-hand quantities at the end of the period.
Knowing the average daily inventory helps retailers:
▪ Determine correct min/max levels
▪ Decide how often reorders will be necessary
▪ Calculate Turn and other performance statistics

How ADI is Calculated

To calculate ADI, the program starts with current inventory values and works backward
in time, reversing each document’s effect on inventory.
The average inventory for the period is then easily and accurately calculated by
adding the daily totals and dividing by the number of days in the period.
Using a snapshot such as End of Period Qty could potentially show an average
inventory value that is much greater for the month. Purchasing decisions based on
this misleading data would result in the loss of potential sales if the merchandise
sells out earlier than expected.

Note: Calculating ADI and Tracking Adjustments

To calculate ADI accurately, you must track quantity adjustments in Retail Pro.

Turn
Turn (also called Turnover) is a measure of how fast you are moving items through
the door to customers. The advantages of having a high Turn rate include:
▪ Increased sales volume Fresh merchandise sells better and faster than
old, shopworn merchandise.
▪ Less risk of obsolete stock and markdowns When inventory is selling
quickly, merchandise isn't in the store long enough to become obsolete. As a
result, markdowns are reduced and gross margins increase.
▪ More money for market opportunities When Turn is high, money
previously tied up in inventory is freed to buy more merchandise.
▪ Decreased operating expenses An increase in Turn may mean that a
lower level of inventory is supporting the same level of sales, which translates
to lower inventory carrying costs.

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However, an excessively high Turn rate can hurt retailers in the following ways:
▪ Lowered sales volume If customers can’t find the size or color they seek—
or even worse, if they can’t find the product line at all—a sale is lost.
▪ Increased cost of goods sold By buying smaller quantities, the buyer can’t
take advantage of quantity and freight discounts.
▪ Increased operating expenses A buyer spends about the same amount of
time meeting with vendors and writing orders whether the order is large or
small. It also takes about the same amount of time, for both large and small
orders, to print invoices, receive merchandise, and pay invoices.

How Turn by Quantity is Calculated

Sold_Qty * (365/# days in period, up to 365) / ADI
# days = (END_DATE - GREATEST(NVL(INVN_SBS.FST_RCVD_DATE, passed
BEGIN_DATE), passed BEGIN_DATE) + 1)

How Turn by Cost is Calculated

(Sold_Qty * Cost) * (365/# days in period, up to 365) / ADC
# days = (END_DATE - GREATEST(NVL(INVN_SBS.FST_RCVD_DATE, passed
BEGIN_DATE), passed BEGIN_DATE) + 1)

GMROI
GMROI reports the gross profitability of an item — the number of margin dollars
returned in one year for each dollar invested in inventory stock. An easy way to think
of GMROI is: “For every dollar I put into this item, I will get X amount back, on an
annual basis.”
GMROI helps retailers:
Put inventory dollars into merchandise that gives the greatest return on their
investment.
Identify low-profit merchandise that can be culled from the inventory mix.

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How GMROI Is Calculated:

(SOLD_EXT_PRICE - SOLD_EXT_COST) * (365/# days in period, up to 365) /
RAW_ADC
# days in period = (END_DATE - GREATEST(NVL(INVN_SBS.FST_RCVD_DATE,
passed BEGIN_DATE), passed BEGIN_DATE) + 1)

Improving GMROI
Gross margin is the value of sales minus the cost of goods sold. To increase gross
margin, you must either increase sales revenue or reduce the cost of the
merchandise.
The obvious way to increase sales revenue is simply to increase prices.
Unfortunately, in a competitive environment, that is not so simple.
Here are three possible strategies to employ to increase GMROI:
▪ Raising Prices
▪ Careful Use of Markdowns
▪ Reducing Cost of Goods Sold

Raising Prices
A common rule of thumb is to avoid price increases on products that are known
value items or those that your competitors focus on for price comparisons.

Sample Steps for Implementing a Price Increase

Define a representative sample selection of products from your stores. Each product
should be of a particular size or be aimed at a particular demographic.
Select a control group that resembles as closely as possible the first group.
Increase prices in the sample stores and track how sales perform against the control
group during a trial period.
If there is little or no effect on sales, you can roll out the price change throughout
your stores.

Reducing Markdowns
Reducing markdowns is another strategy for improving GMROI. To do this, track the
Sell Through % by store.
Suppose Store A is selling faster than plan and will sell out early. Store B is selling
slower than plan but a markdown may help it along. Store C is doing really poorly
and even a large markdown may not be enough to clear the problem. In this case,
consider moving merchandise from Store C to Store A, where it can still sell at full
price.

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 RIL (or RP9) Database and Custom Programming Guide

This capacity to apply markdowns selectively and transfer goods judiciously is an

important component in increasing gross margin.

Reducing Cost of Goods Sold

You can, for example, analyze vendor performance and possibly order products from
different vendors. Again, this is not a simple decision and must be considered with
other factors. For example, one vendor may be a little more expensive but delivers
on time and offers better quality with fewer returns. When all the factors are
considered, the more expensive supplier may, in fact, be "cheaper."

The Role of Planning

Informed merchandise planning can also offer a valuable impact. In addition to sales
and stock figures, this could include, for example, competitor prices and the
promotional calendar.

GMROI Example
Here is an example of how GMROI works.
You purchase 1 pen on Jan. 1 from your vendor for $0.10 The pencil has a selling
price of $1.00 and stays in your inventory the entire year until, finally, on Dec. 31,
someone comes into your store and buys it. The Annualized Profit (Margin $) is 90
cents ($1.00 - $0.10 = $0.90). The Average Daily Cost is 10 cents (its Cost on Jan 1
was $0.10, on Jan.2 was $0.10 … all the way to Dec. 31).
When we divide the annualized profit by the average daily cost, we get a GMROI of
9.
$0.90
(Annualized Profit) =9
$0.10
(Average Daily Cost)

If instead you buy 12 pens on Jan. 1 (for $1.20) and sell all 12 on Dec. 31, (for
$12.00), the annualized profit increases, but the average daily cost increases at the
same rate, so GMROI stays the same.
$10.80
(Annualized Profit) =9
$1.20
(Average Daily Cost)

However, if you buy 12 pens on Jan. 1 and sell one pencil at the end of every month,
the annualized profit is still $10.80 ($12.00 - $1.20), but the Average Daily Cost
drops to $0.60.
$10.80
(Annualized Profit) = 18
$0.60
(Average Daily Cost)

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 RIL (or RP9) Database and Custom Programming Guide

Suppose that you don’t want to pay storage costs throughout the year, so you buy
only one pen at the beginning of every month and then sell it on the last day of
every month. Your annualized profit is still $10.80 but the average daily cost drops
to $0.10. This increased profitability is shown in the increase of GMROI to 108.
Annualized Profit
($10.80) = 108
Average Daily Cost
($0.10)

Stock/Sales
Stock/Sales is the ratio (for a specified period) of stock available for sale to what was
sold.
If Stock/Sales is higher than usual, it means merchandise isn’t selling as quickly as
anticipated. To correct the imbalance, retailers will have to cut back on orders or
mark down merchandise to avoid becoming overstocked.

How Stock/Sales is Calculated

if Sold_qty = 0 then
STOCK_SALES := 1
else
STOCK_SALES := 1 + EOP_OH_QTY / SOLD_QTY
if (P_END_DATE = passed END_DATE then
EOP_OH_QTY := SUM(OH_QTY)
else
EOP_OH_QTY := 0

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Sell Thru %
Sell Thru % is the percentage of items available for sale (for a specified period) that
were actually sold, in other words, the inverse of Stock/Sales. The lower the
Stock/Sales ration, the higher the Sell Thru %. For example, if you had 1,500 units
available at the beginning of the period and sold 500, the Sell Thru % would be
33.33.

How Sell-Thru % Is Calculated

if SOLD_QTY + EOP_OH_QTY = 0 then
SELL_THRU = 0
else
SELL_THRU := SOLD_QTY * 100 / (SOLD_QTY + EOP_OH_QTY)
if (P_END_DATE = passed END_DATE then
EOP_OH_QTY := SUM(OH_QTY)
else
EOP_OH_QTY := 0

Days of Supply
The Days of Supply (DOS), tells you the number of days until you sell out your
remaining stock of the item.
Days of Supply (DOS) tells you the number of days remaining until you sell out your
remaining stock of an item.
This statistic helps retailers decide when to reorder merchandise. For example, if a
vendor requires a lead time of one week for reorders of a certain item, and the
remaining days of supply is 10, a retailer needs to start making a purchase order
soon or risk selling out of an item.

How Days of Supply is Calculated

if SOLD_QTY = 0 then
DOS := 0
else
DOS:=EOP_OH_QTY*(passedEND_DATE-
GREATEST(NVL(INVN_SBS.FST_RCVD_DATE, passed BEGIN_DATE), passed
BEGIN_DATE) + 1) / SOLD_QTY)

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Index
A Flag field .......................................................... 26
Abbreviations ................................................ 12 G
Average Daily Inventory (ADI)................. 45 GMROI .............................................................. 46
C I
Controllers ......................................................... 9 Importing documents................................. 21
Custom buttons............................................ 29 Importing employees ................................. 28
Custom programming Importing items ............................................ 24
creating ODBC connection.................. 34 Items
general examples .................................... 36 importing items into Retail Pro.......... 24
Microsoft Access example ................... 38 M
Microsoft Excel example ...................... 40 Multiple databases from single
Microsoft Word example ..................... 43 workstation ................................................ 30
restrictions on accessing tables and O
views .......................................................... 7 Oracle 11g......................................................... 4
Custom programming ............................... 32 S
D Schema ............................................................. 34
Database Sell Thru % ...................................................... 50
file layout ................................................... 17 Stock/Sales ..................................................... 49
terminology ................................................. 7 T
Database ............................................................ 4 Turn ................................................................... 45
Days of Supply .............................................. 50 U
F Usermenu.ini .................................................. 29
File layout ....................................................... 17

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